Andre Chiefs

Watertown, MA- The Chiefs swept a doubleheader from the Watertown Reds at Victory Field on Monday night, winning game one 9-1 and then taking the nightcap 8-2.

Righty Keith Forbes went five shutout innings in the opener to pick up the win and raise his record to 4-1-1. Southpaw Dylan Ellis went the distance in game two, scattering seven hits, and upped his season mark to 3-0-3.

In game one, Forbes and Reds starter Chris Dupay matched zeros for the first two frames before the visitors broke through with three runs in the top of the third inning. Phil Costello led off with a walk and Brendan Pyburn singled. Mike Barbati's sacrifice bunt attempt was a bit strong and Dupay was able to force Costello at third. Dupay then struck out Paul Koslowski swinging but torrid Justin Crisafulli picked him up when he drilled a long double to the base of the wall in left scoring Pyburn. Equally hot Matt Lawlor then lofted a single to left center just over the leap of Reds shortstop Brian Shapiro scoring both Barbati and Crisafulli to make it 3-0. Mike Andre then drew a walk but Dupay got nate Leva to bounce out to avoid further damage.

Both teams went scoreless in the fourth inning before the Chiefs picked up a couple of more runs to raise their lead to 5-0 in the fifth. Dupay got Barbati to fly out to right and Koslowski got things started with one out when he laced a double to right center and Crisafulli was intentionally walked. Lawlor then doubled to deep left scoring Koslowski and pushing Crisafulli to third. Andre followed with a long RBI sacrifice fly to right scoring Crisafulli and giving Forbes a 5-0 lead.

Forbes held the Reds scoreless in the bottom of the inning and the Chiefs added two more runs to take a 7-0 lead in the sixth off Reds reliever Mike Guanci. Matt Boleski led things off with a walk and after Costello flew out, singles from Pyburn and Barbati (RBI) and a wild pitch accounted for the runs.

Carlos Dela Cruz came on for Forbes in the bottom of the sixth and retired the Reds side in order, including two strikeouts. The Chiefs made it a 9-0 game in the top of the seventh on basehits from Andre, Leva and Pyburn.

The Reds averted the shutout against Dela Cruz in the bottom of the seventh when Brian Casey singled, Scott Ciccone reached on an error by Pyburn, Matt McEvoy flew out to left, and two more singles from Jason Hoye and Shapiro. Dela Cruz ended the game by getting Jay Olson to hit into an Andre (3B) to Pyburn (2B) to Koslowski (1B) doubleplay.

Forbes (5 innings), allowed four hits and struck out six while walking five.

In the nightcap, Ellis got stronger as the game went on to pick up his third win of the season. The Chiefs handed him a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Watertown lefty Andrew LeBrun when Pyburn reached on an infield error, stole second, went to third on a Barbati grounder and scored on a Koslowski sacrifice fly.

Ellis kept the Reds off the board in the bottom of the first and the Chiefs rewarded him with three more runs and a 4-0 lead in the top of the second. Andre was hit by a LeBrun pitch and Leva followed with a single. Boleski was then hit with another LeBrun offering to load the bases. Costello then grounded a single just inside the first base bag to score both Andre and Leva with the second and third runs of the game. The Chiefs added their fourth run when Boleski scored on an infield error off the bat of Pyburn.

The Reds got one back in the bottom of the second on a Hoye single, a base on balls to Ciccone and a RBI single from Annese. The Chiefs went in order in the third and the Reds cut the lead in half to 4-2 in the bottom of the inning on singles by Brian Casey and Shapiro and a long sacrifice fly to left from Hoye.

It stayed 4-2 until the Chiefs put the game away with four runs in the fifth inning. Barbati got things going with a single to center and Koslowski drew a walk. Crisafulli followed with a RBI single before Lawlor doubled scoring Koslowski to make it 6-2 and leave runners on second and third. LeBrun got Andre and Leva for the first two outs before Boleski lined a single to right center scoring both Crisafulli and Lawlor to bring the score to 8-2. Aram Manoukian held the Chiefs scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings.

Ellis held the Reds at bay the rest of the way, including retiring the last seven batters in a row. He struck out five and walked two.

The Chiefs, now 13-7-5, head to Trum Field in Somerville on Tuesday night for a 6:15 PM date with the first place Cassell Club. Lefty David Garcia is expected to draw the starting assignment for the Chiefs.